THURSDAY, JANUARY 17
Scripture: Matthew 10:34-39

Matthew 10:34-39 states, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” How is it that Jesus said He did not come to bring peace, but a sword? The Jesus we hear about is always offering love and blessing. If Jesus came to bring a sword, where is that sword in the church today? Is it accessible by the Holy Spirit? Can we swing it in prayer? Can we move the Hand of God and see the sword? A church that cannot move the Hand of God and bring forth the sword probably does not know the Judicial Jesus of the New Testament. Everyone needs a Savior, but increasingly we need a Judge to deal with sin threatening our harvest field. By over-emphasizing Jesus the Savior, we have chosen to limit Him to this role. We have ignored who He is as a Kingdom Judge. The essence of the Kingdom is the authority to judge wickedness and evil and to bring God’s covenant justice to those who promote it. Anything less is not biblical Christianity. And if there is one thing we need in this season, it is an outpouring of biblical Christianity that will go straight to the top of nations! Can we bring a sword? David prayed and God manifested a sword! The early church prayed the sword on Herod and it came in the form of worms. There is a reason why Jesus said those who find their life will lose it and those who lose their life will find it. Are we willing to lose our life to find this dimension of who God is so we can deliver cities and nations from the grip of the enemy? The time is here – how will we respond?